Buganda has highest number of degraded forests

May 06, 2007

SIXTY percent of degraded forests in Uganda are in Buganda region. <br>Edward Lutaaya Mukomazi, the Buganda government minister of agriculture, forestry and the environment, revealed this recently.<br>

By John Kasozi

SIXTY percent of degraded forests in Uganda are in Buganda region.
Edward Lutaaya Mukomazi, the Buganda government minister of agriculture, forestry and the environment, revealed this recently.

Mukomazi was addressing members of Zinalaaba Integrated Development Association (ZIDA), East African Breweries/Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL) E-Green Team and National Forestry Authority (NFA) who had gathered to replant the degraded 25 hectares of Kkoba Forest, which is part of Lwamunda Forest Sector in Mpigi district.

He said officials of the National Environment Management Authority recently told Buganda county chiefs at Colline Hotel in Mukono that forests in Buganda are getting depleted at a faster rate than those in other parts of the country.

“Because of severe degradation, we agreed at the end of the workshop to work closely with the central government. It is a collective responsibility if we are to curb the rate of forest degradation,” Mukomazi said.

He said that Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi was not only worried about the proposed give away of Mabira Forest, but also about the takeover of forests in Ssese Islands by BIDCO.

“You have seen what is happening with the declining water levels. We do not know the next effect on the climate change as a result of rampant forest degradation.”

Mukomazi said the Kabaka does not want issues to be settled with violence but amicably. “His majesty is appealing to the authorities responsible for Mabira forest not to give it away for sugarcane growing.”

“We offered Mehta 10 square miles of land at Kasawo previously earmarked for sugarcane growing which is far much bigger than the Mabira piece of land. The land has a few squatters scattered on it and they are willing to be compensated,” said Mukomazi.

“They could as well be taken on as outgrowers,” he suggested.
Mukomazi said Buganda is willing to offer Mehta an alternative piece of land for sugarcane growing instead of Mabira, which he said is a national asset of vital ecological importance.

Article 237 (2) of the Constitution says the Government or local government shall hold in trust for the people and protect natural lakes, rivers, wetlands, forest reserves, national parks and any land to be reserved for ecological purposes for the good of all citizens.

Kabuuza Mukasa, the Buganda minister of royal visits, who accompanied Mukomazi, told the gathering that Buganda government has a re-forestation programme in all its areas of jurisdiction, which involves sensitising people about the importance of forests.

“Our people need to know that we are all part of the environment,” he said.
The reforestation programme involves planting fast-growing commercial forest tree species like pine and eucalyptus.

Kabuuza thanked the NFA officials who resigned from their jobs over Government’s intention to giveaway part of Mabira Forest.

About 100 people planted over 1,200 tree seedlings of mahogany, Mvule, Musizi, Musambya, Mukebu, Afzelia quanzensis (mahogany bean) and Nongo.

Samuel Vivian Matagi, an NFA official, said this is the second phase of the three-year reforestation programme carried out by the E-Green team, NFA and ZIDA community. The programme is in effect during the rainy season. It is now one year and three months since it took off.

The E-Green team, all employees of UBL, donated part of their salary to the reforestation programme. Sh30m was earmarked for the programme.

NFA offered the degraded forestland, seedlings and expertise, while ZIDA offered labour and protection of the forests.

Soji Oladimeji, the UBL sales director who represented the managing director, Baker Magunda, told the participants that if the Kkoba project succeeds, UBL would implement a reforestation programme for barley growing areas in eastern and western Uganda.

Matagi said they were working with Roofings Limited to set up a forest nursery section where seedlings would be distributed to the local community.

He said Uganda is at the verge of experiencing a timber ‘vacuum’ due to the rate at which the forests are being destroyed.

“The solution to this is to encourage more people to take up forest commercial planting of the fastest growing species such as pine and eucalyptus.”

Benjamin Kamukama, the Mpanga Forest Sector manager in-charge of 27 central forest reserves, told the participants that NFA only leases out degraded forests.

“The lessee is not supposed to plant sugarcane or tomatoes on the forestland, but trees only.”

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